Conan The Slayer #8 - An Preview/Review

Conan's newly forged alliance between the Kozak tribesmen and the Reavers of the Vilayet Sea has succeeded! Indeed, Conan's leadership has proven as profitable for his roguish allies as it has been aggravating for Jehunigir Agha, keeper of the coastal border of Turan. Lord Agha proves unwilling to wait for his men to deal with the barbarian, however, and sets a trap on a remote island using an enslaved noblewoman named Octavia as bait.










Conan The Slayer #8 seems a fairly straight-forward adaption of the first few chapters of Robert E. Howard's The Devil In Iron at first glance. Cullen Bunn has built on the original story, however, displaying the full action of events that were only referred to in the classic tale. These additions are well within the spirit of Howard's oeuvre and serve only to enhance what was already a ripping yarn. The artwork by Sergio Davila and Michael Atiyeh is of similar high quality, evoking the memory of Frank Frazetta as easily as Bunn resurrects Howard.

Conan The Slayer #8 releases on April 26, 2017. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

Conan The Slayer #5 - An Preview/Review

Hunting the treacherous kin-slayer Kyrylo, Conan stands ready to defend Taraslan - rightful ruler of the Kozaki clan that saved his life. But Kyrylo and his demonic patron are not defeated yet. Soon, the Cimmerian and his comrades in arms will find themselves facing undead monsters both physical and ghostly in their quest for justice!









Conan The Slayer is easily the best Conan comic in recent memory. Cullen Bunn's scripts perfectly capture the spirit of the weird horror integral to Robert E. Howard's original stories. The artwork by Sergio Davila proves a worthy match to Cullen's prose. And the color art by Michael Atiyeh seems to both glow and shade the finished art of the spectral monstrosities at the center of this issue's action perfectly.

Conan The Slayer #4 - An Advanced Review

Held hostage by a family of trolls, Conan has escaped a gruesome fate as either the trolls' dinner or the troll mother's lover. Of all those in the Kozaki scouting party who rode with Conan, only the warrior woman Oksana and the hetman's inexperienced son Taraslan have survived along with the Cimmerian. Yet their homecoming may be a tense thing, as the hetman lies dead and his other son - the treacherous Kyrylo - has declared himself the new leader! And when word of Kyrylo's betrayal is not enough to sway the hearts of the Kozaki, Conan will find himself defending the rightful prince with steel and strength!


Conan The Slayer continues to amaze with every passing issue. The artwork by Sergio Fernandez Davila and Michael Atiyeh is some of the best to come out of Dark Horse Comics since they won the Conan license. The story by Cullen Bunn is worthy of Robert E. Howard himself. Even those who don't usually enjoy the sword-and-sorcery genre may find themselves searing by Mitra after reading this issue.

Conan The Slayer #4 releases on October 26, 2016. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

Conan The Slayer #3 - An Advanced Review/Preview

Ambushed by Turan soldiers, Conan and his new Kozak allies found themselves betrayed by their own Prince! Yet that concern pales to their current plight, as both groups were assaulted and captured by a band of monsters whose magic beguiles the senses and masks their true form. Now, as Conan's allies consider their traitorous brethren and an unlikely alliance with the Turan soldiers who wish them dead, Conan must contend with an amorous troll witch who has mating on her mind.









This latest Conan series from Dark Horse Comics continues to impress me. Cullen Bunn's stories are worthy of Robert E. Howard himself. Sergio Fernandez Davila's artwork perfectly captures the weird horror and vivid detail necessary to visually portray Hyboria. The color art by Michael Atiyeh proves perfect throughout the book. By Mitra, Conan hasn't been this good in years!

Conan The Slayer #3 releases on September 28, 2016. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

Conan The Slayer #2 - An Advanced Review/Preview

Rescued from certain death in the desert by whims of a Kozaki chieftain, Conan now finds himself serving as mentor and bodyguard to the chieftain's chosen heir. This displeases the chieftan's son, who seeks his father's position and is willing to bargain with dark powers and his tribe's enemies to claim it. Can Conan keep his new allies alive when they are blind to the treachery plotted by their own blood?






The second issue of Conan The Slayer continues the fine work lain out in the first issue.  Cullen Bunn's action-packed story is worthy of Robert E. Howard himself. And the artwork by Red Sonja artist Sergio Davila is some of the finest this series has seen in years. It is a must read for all fans of quality comics and the sword-and-sorcery genre.

Conan The Slayer #2 will be available for purachse on August 24th, 2016.    

Swords of Sorrow #6 - A Review

The final battle is begun! And as the Traveller and her chosen defend themselves against an army of the dreadful Shard-Men, the trio of Red Sonja, Dejah Thoris and Vampirella move to strike down Prince Charming himself. But how will the prophecy be fulfilled when a cowardly attack by Purgatori sees Vampirella staked and near death?!


Sergio Davila's artwork on this series has been nothing short of phenomenal. Given that many of the heroines involved in this series were born of the 1990's bad-girl movement and served little purpose other than providing wanking material for boys too young to buy Penthouse, it is gratifying to see them rendered with realistic proportions. The action flows smoothly and their are no impossible poses or Escher-Spines to be had!


I must say with all honesty that this final chapter of Swords of Sorrow is not Gail Simone's greatest work. Simone is wildly successful in keeping the plot moving and tries to give all of the large cast of characters at least a panel or two to showcase their skills. But I fear that it is all too much, too quickly.

Had this been a 12-issue mini-series rather than a 6-issue one, maybe it could have handled the sheer scope of what Simone has tried to convey. In the end, I think this series - much like the original Secret Wars - will be remembered for what it set-up rather than for the story that it told. But that is not a bad thing when what it sets-up is a shared universe that will allow other writers to freely team these heroines in the future.

Swords of Sorrow #5 - A Review

The Traveller has assembled her army, just as The Prince once called Charming has redrawn reality to merge various worlds into one great battlefield. Now - as Red Sonja, Dejah Thoris and Vampirella go to confront The Prince in his place of power - the rest of the assembled heroines must stay to fight an army of evil the likes of which has never been assembled! But are they all resolved to face the battle ahead of them? And are all of the so-called Women of Chaos committed to serving The Prince?


I find myself of two minds about this issue's script. Jungle Girl's sudden crisis of faith makes her a distinct point-of-view character in a book where most of the cast - due to the nature of crossover storylines - have had little chance for characterization beyond battle-hardened bad-ass or opportunist rogue. On the other hand, her sudden "But I'm just a girl"attitude seems contradictory to what we've seen of the character in this book so far and the Red Sonja/Jungle Girl tie-ins.

That said, I have faith that Gail Simone is building up something big for Jana in the final chapter and that the Jungle Girl will prove to be a true woman rather than the "jiggling jungle babe" Frank Cho established. Or maybe Dynamite Entertainment will be revealed to have licensed the rights to Sheena and we can get the true Queen of the Jungle for the final chapter?  A pulp fanboy can dream, right?



Whatever reservations I may have about the story going into the final chapter, I have no complaints about the artwork.  Sergio Davila's pencils and inks remain as fine as ever. The color art by Jorge Sutil further enhances the original art, crafting quite the set of pretty pictures.

Swords of Sorrow #4 - A Review

Becoming a harem slave to a wicked prince or dying under a much harsher form of bondage isn't much of a choice. Still, this is the offer the demon known as Purgatori brings before an assemblage of time-displaced adventurers. And it is an offer that is swiftly declined.  Now this odd assemblage of killers, criminals and vigilantes must traverse the whole of time and space and seek out "the trinity" spoken of in the prophecy - the princess, the warrior and the vampire who will lead them to victory!


Swords of Sorrow #4 works on several levels. It works quite well as an adventure comic of the old school, with thrilling and chilling action sequences. It also works quite well as a comedic piece, with Gail Simone showcasing her gift for ribald humor that rises below vulgarity throughout. There is also some subtle satire of the genre and industry, with Purgatori - a 90's bad girl heroine who served little purpose beyond being the poster-girl for cheap fan-service - offering safety to the women who break the mold and refuse to be exploited.


Sergio Davila's artwork equals Simone's scripts in quality.  Davila manages the neat trick of drawing women who are beautiful and scantily clad without the whole affair seeming exploitative or unnaturally posed. This is one of the best looking books in recent memory.

Swords of Sorrow #3 - A Review

This third chapter of Swords of Sorrow is largely devoted towards the method and madness of its villain, Prince Charming. Thus far his motives have been unclear beyond a general desire to control all women. Yet this issue reveals that some once-noble quest may lie at heart of matters, even as the champions chosen by The Traveller learn of their own role in the battle to come.


Gail Simone's script for this issue is generally solid. As before, this series' chief flaws are the presumption of familiarity with its large cast and too little time being devoted to introducing our heroines. However, the action flows well enough in spite of this, though it would be a good idea to pick up all of the series tie-ins if you weren't already.


The artwork remains equally delightful. Sergio Davila's pencils and inks continue to shine. Unfortunately, the colors by Jorge Sutil muddy the artwork at some points. It's a bit hard to follow some of the action when most our heroines are wearing black and/or red costumes.  Despite this, Swords of Sorrow is still an enjoyable read.

Swords of Sorrow #2 - A Review

Across the multiverse, the chosen of The Traveller begin to meet. And, in many cases, to fight. For The Traveller needs leaders in the fight to come and leaders seldom work well with others who would follow their own destiny. Still, they will unite or they will die... for the chosen of The Prince are close at hand and ready to finish the job if these heroines don't do themselves in.


The lion's share of this issue is devoted to a battle between Dejah Thoris and Red Sonja. The fight is an interesting contest. While Sonja finds her abilities enhanced by the atmosphere of Barsoom and is likely the more capable warrior, Dejah Thoris is a more tactical fighter and better able to use the environment to her advantage.

The appearances of the other heroines in this volume amount to little more than set-ups for the tie-in issues that will be released later this summer.  Still, Gail Simone does a fine job of keeping the plot moving and giving us a taste of what is to come. And one can't fault the focus on Dynamite's two most popular heroines, though Vampirella gets a goodly amount of page time as well.  Such is the problem with all crossover series based around an ensemble - someone has to be the supporting cast.


The art team for this series is top-notch.  Sergio Davila does a wonderful job of matching the fast pace of the script with some impressive illustrations and brilliant action sequences. He also depicts all of the heroines - even the more fantastically dressed ones - as powerful figures without a hint of cheesecake. The colors by Jorge Sutil add to the splendor of the finished artwork.

Swords of Sorrow #1 - A Review

A war is coming. A war was fought. A war occurs even now.

Two forces fight.  On one side is The Traveller, who exists everywhere and everywhen.  On the other side is The Prince - a being of nowhere and nowhen - who has a seething hatred of all women, particularly The Traveller! Yet he has made an army of women his pawns in the battle to come, as The Traveller has drawn upon the whole of time and space to bring together women who are not just warriors and legends - they are leaders of their own destinies!


The cynical may think that Swords of Sorrow is little more than an artful excuse for selling a lot of comics with alternate covers of beautiful women in skimpy costumes. And under a lesser writer it might well have been little more than that. But with Gail Simone at the helm, this issue proves to be an engaging look at the many amazing women of Dynamite Entertainment's pulp line. Unfortunately, we don't get to see all of the heroines in action - there's barely enough time to introduce all the players!  Still, this first issue does a fine job of setting the stage for the battles to come in this core series and the tie-in mini-series.


Sergio Davila proves more than capable of depicting the variety of locales that Simone's script demands and the colors by Jorge Sutil are applied with equal skill. From dinosaur-dominated islands to the dark alleys of a modern city, everything looks amazing! And despite the costumes of some of our heroines, there is no hint of exploitation or gratuitous cheesecake in any of the book's interior artwork.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Three Annual #1 - A Review

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Three Annual #1 is a perfect coda for Year Three of this series. Ironic really given that the second story in this collection is set during Year One. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

The opening chapter - A Proper Mage - is set just before the beginning of Year Three and reveals that John Constantine was not the first magician to whom Batman turned for help after Zatanna. That honor went to the team of Rose Psychic and Doctor Occult, whom quickly piqued John Constantine's interest and inspired him to offer his assistance... whether they wanted it or not.


Written by Constantine writer Ray Fawkes, this tale is a fine look at the parts of the supernatural side of the DC Comics Universe that we didn't see during Year Three.  This story also offers a good explanation for just how the usually neutral John Constantine became so hell-bent on getting involved in the fight against Superman as well as how he got such wonderful toys with endless possibilities, such as a bag of "nameless sand".

The second story - Fall of The Titans - answers a question that many Teen Titans fans had regarding the Injustice Universe - where the heck are Beast Boy, Starfire, Kid Flash and all the other sidekicks? The only Titans we saw in the game and the comics until now were Cyborg, Raven and Nightwing. That's a good chunk of the team missing in action!


While this story by Brian Buccellato won't satisfy all of the Titans fans (there's no sign of Donna Troy or Roy Harper, for instance) it is good for what it is. The subplot involving Connor Kent's reaction to his mentor taking a life is an interesting mirror to the feelings of many Superman fans regarding the core conceit of Injustice and there's some interesting interplay between Starfire and Nightwing, who recently left The Titans to join The Justice League in this reality.

As per usual for this series, the artwork is top notch.  Xermanic and Alejandro Sanchez do their usual sterling job on the first chapter. Sergio Davila, Juan Albarran and Rex Lokus ace it on the second chapter. And Wes Abbott does an amazing job lettering both chapters.  All in all this issue is well worth the $4.99 price tag.

Red Sonja #100 - A Review

The trouble with anthology books is you can never be certain of the quality of all of the book's contents.  That certainly proves the case with Red Sonja #100.  While this issue boasts stories by some of the finest scribes to write tales about Red Sonja since her resurgence at Dynamite Entertainment, it appears that less care went into procuring artists of a similar temper.


Thankfully that doesn't prove to be true of the book's first tale, "The Snare".  The story by Eric Trautmann pits Sonja against a beguiling evil as she flees from Hyborean slavers.  The artwork by Chastity artist Dave Acosta proves a fair match to the weird horror roots of Trautmann's script.


Sadly, the artwork of Pablo Marcos proves to be a little too weird in the next chapter, Tresses.  This story by Roy Thomas comes closest to capturing the feeling of a classic Red Sonja comic and   Marcos's artwork has a hand in establishing that aura.  Marcos does a grand job depicting the Lovecraftian beast at the heart of Thomas' story but his human figures are oddly distorted, with Sonja's neck stretching to odd lengths in some panels only to disappear completely in others!


The middle chapter - Sticks and Stones - is definitely the weakest in the collection.  The story by Michael Avon Oeming is built around that most overplayed of sword-and-sorcery cliches - the hero fighting for their freedom in an arena. The cartoonish artwork of Taki Soma proves worse, however, delivering a Sonja whom looks more like Codex from The Guild than a seasoned warrior woman.


The penultimate chapter - The Torch - proves the strongest in the anthology, no doubt due to the pairing of current Red Sonja writer Gail Simone and experienced Red Sonja artist Noah Salonga.  This epic story (which features some epic poetry worthy of Robert E. Howard himself!) centers upon Sonja's chance meeting with a warrior woman who inspired her as a girl and Sonja being given a chance to bring a measure of peace to her idol.


The book's final chapter - Three Wishes - proves to be the most erratic.  The artwork by Injustice artist Sergio Fernandez Davila is all over the place in terms of proportions and appearances.  The story by Luke Liberman is serviceable but the action - centering around a wizard who has found a seemingly endless steam of wishes - is resolved far too quickly, though it ends sweetly enough.

All in all, Red Sonja fans will find much to enjoy in this centennial issue.  It is not without its flaws but the good far outweighs the bad.  And even the bad is not truly that bad.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Three #16 - A Review

Spying a Sinestro Corps Ring on the unconscious Superman's hand, Wonder Woman - herself recently awakened from a magical sleep - assumes the worst. But the Man of Steel is down but not out! And with his fiercest and most stalwart ally by his side, he is ready to take the fight for the Earth to Batman.


I have mixed feelings about Brian Buccellato's script for this issue.  On the one hand there are many nice touches, such as Wonder Woman being the one to convince Superman that he should not need to depend on an artifact powered by fear. But there are also some things that leave me confused, such as the revelation that Superman doesn't need to sleep and that it was only his enjoyment of his dream of a better world that kept him from waking sooner. Yes, I know there is a case to be made based on past stories that Superman doesn't need to sleep but it still seems a bit jarring. Particularly when you consider that Batman of all people would have accounted for this in any plan to disable Superman!

The script is also unclear about whether or not Superman woke through his own power or if, as Hal Jordan says, Ares was responsible.  Indeed, last week's comic had Ares claiming he lacked such power and that it was Hera who awakened Diana. Perhaps this inconsistency is meant to signify Ares is up to something (indeed, I'd be willing to bet it since earlier in this series he was working to stop Superman from conquering the world) but it's very unclear if that is the case.


The artwork by Sergio Fernandez Davila is similarly unbalanced.  Davila's work is largely competent but many of his facial expressions and body positions are odd.  Another problem is story flow and word-balloon placement within panels.  At one point, John Constantine is seen shouting in surprise before Doctor Fate - who just appeared in the room - can say the words that surprise him.

Red Sonja #76 - A Review

I had thought the Red Sonja series was ending with Issue #75 in anticipation of the upcoming Red Sonja series by Gail Simone.  And now, having read Red Sonja #76, I wish it had ended at #75.

Be warned fans of the She-Devil of Hyrkania - this is not a Red Sonja tale.  Red Sonja stories feature a strong, bold woman standing up against monsters, both human and inhuman, striking a blow against all who would oppress the innocent and enslave the weak.  This comic centers around a hapless victim, who could be replaced with a house plant without the plot having to be changed one iota.  But I'm getting ahead of myself...


Apparently this story is meant to take place immediately after the events of a crossover mini-series called Prophecy, which I did not read.  I didn't find this out until I sat down to write this review and saw the credits page, where there is a note mentioning that fact.  It would have been nice if there had been a Stan-Lee style text box ("AS SEEN IN PROPHECY #6, TRUE BELIEVER! - SMILING STAN") telling people that somewhere in the actual comic. 

As it is, the only reference to Prophecy in the actual book is a one-page montage that does little to clarify matters.  The text talks about the rumors of what happened to Sonja while she was disappeared from the world but doesn't tell the reader what actually happened.  The artwork depicts several characters (the only one of whom I can identify is Vamperella) whom I assume were also in Prophecy, but does nothing to name them either. 


This page of exposition comes after an opening prologue that has nothing to do with the rest of the action of the book.  Things truly start with Sonja waking up tied to a stake with a fire at her heels.  She breaks free easily enough and is confused when the townsfolk who were burning her seem terrified of her.  She is then rescued from the lynch mob by a group of mysterious men on horseback.

I will repeat that again, because I think it's rather important - Red Sonja has to be saved from a lynch mob of peasants by a group of mysterious men on horseback

It gets worse.  The only reason these men saved Sonja was because they somehow know more about current events than the oddly amnesic Sonja.  Apparently Sonja has been turned into a vampire of some fashion and it is the hunter's intent to use her to curry favor with another prominent hunter and use her as bait for the vampire lord who created her, who naturally wants Sonja as his eternal bride.

It's at this point that I must take artist Sergio Fernandez Davila to task.  Davila is a far more competent artist than his predecessor Marcio Abreu, but, sadly, that competence has been turned toward cheesecake.  Sonja is unnaturally posed throughout and the most prominent splashes in the comic involve her being in some form of bondage.  Ignoring that, there are instances of certain characters and objects being over-outlined or under-inked - sometimes on the same page! 


This comic is terrible on every front.  Perhaps it makes more sense if you've read Prophecy but I doubt it.  In any event, it would have been better off being directly marketed as a sequel-series rather than published as part of the regular Red Sonja monthly book.  When a long-time reader like myself is unable to follow the story without going on-line, you have a problem.  When your Red Sonja storyline features Sonja  being treated as an object to be used rather than a bold heroine, you have many problems.  And when your artist seems more interested in drawing women in bondage than women in battle, you have a whole mess of problems.  And the largest of these problems is this - this doesn't feel like a Red Sonja story and it's not any kind of Red Sonja story I want to read.